THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 317 



cruelty in it, tlian when the " clams" are used. The pressure 

 on the cord is the same ; and all the difference is, I use saddler's 

 silk instead of wooden clams. I have castrated a great num- 

 ber of animals, at all ages, by means of a ligature around the 

 cord, and have never met with loss or accident. 



Method of Castration. — There is very little danger in cas- 

 trating a young calf, and it is very rare that a surgeon is ever 

 called upon to perform the operation ; yet I would advise 

 persons who are in the habit of castrating these young animals, 

 to make free openings into the scrotum and inner covering of 

 the testicles. This inner covering is called tunica vaginalis. 

 If too small an opening be made, the swollen cord will be im- 

 prisoned by the divided edges of the tunica vaginalis, which 

 will ultimately end in hardening or schirrosity of the end of 

 the cord, or else there will be scrotal abscess. A large opening 

 into the scrotum and tunic is necessary, in order to postpone 

 union of the external parts, until the tissues above and within 

 have healed. 



When castrating bullocks, I either secure them in the trevis 

 and partly etherize them, or else cast them with the hobbles 

 (see cut of instruments), and render them completely insen- 

 sible by ether. I then grasp the scrotum, between the belly 

 and testicle, and make an incision on one side and at the lower 

 part of the scrotum sufficiently large to allow the testicle to 

 escape. The testicle then hangs by the cord. A ligature is 

 then passed around the latter, which must be tied tight enough 

 to compress the bloodvessels and prevent after bleeding. The 

 cord is then divided, and one end of the string may be cut 

 very close to the knot, so that a slight pull will untie it. The 

 other testicle is to be proceeded with in the same manner, and 

 the operation is complete. It is proper, however, to return the 

 cord within the inner tunic, or covering of the testicle, and 

 one end of the ligature is left Ipng enough to hang out of the 

 wound. 



In the course of a week, if the ligatures do not come away, 

 a slight pull will detach then^. I never make use of any 



dressing, except when a bad odqr s^rises from the parts. The 



2j* 



